Garbage bag retention means

ABSTRACT

APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING FLEXIBLE GARBAGE BAGS CONSTRUCTED OF PAPER AND THE LIKE IN GARBAGE RECEIVING POSITION WHICH RETAINS THE BAGS TO THE INSIDE OF A KITCHEN CABINET DOOR. A MOUNTING PLATE IS SECURED TO THE DOOR AND INCLUDES A PAIR OF VERTICALLY SPACED UPPER AND LOWER MEMBERS THAT DEFINE A STORAGE SPACE FOR FOLDED BAGS AND WHICH DEMOUNTABLY CONNECT TO THE PLATE AND THE DOOR INSIDE A BASKET INTO WHICH THE OPEN BAG IS PLACED.

May 23, 1972 A. 1.. VACCARO GARBAGE BAG RETENTION MEANS Filed July 8, 1970 INVENTOR.

ANGELO L. VACCARO mom United States Patent 3,664,622 GARBAGE BAG RETENTION MEANS Angelo L. Vaccaro, 218 St. Francis Blvd., Daly City, Calif. 94015 Filed July 8, 1970, Ser. No. 53,044 Int. Cl. B65b 67/12 US. Cl. 248-95 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for supporting flexible garbage bags constructed of paper and the like in garbage receiving position which retains the bags to the inside of a kitchen cabinet door. A mounting plate is secured to the door and includes a pair of vertically spaced upper and lower members that define a storage space for folded bags and which demountably connect to the plate and the door inside a basket into which the open bag is placed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Household garbage, and particularly kitchen garbage, is almost universally placed into paper bags such as common grocery bags that are generally placed inside a cabinet beneath the kitchen sink. Each time articles are placed into the garbage bag the bag is pulled out and then returned to its storage position. This requires appreciable physical effort on behalf of the housewife. Moreover, the slidable in and out movement of the bag can cause damage to, i.e. tear the bag, and result in unsightly and unsanitary garbage spillage.

Bag damage and garbage spillage is somewhat alleviated when the bag is placed into a supporting basket or can so that pulling forces to move the bag outside the cabinet are applied to the basket instead of the bag. However, the physical eliort to move the basket and particular frequent bends by the housewife to grasp the bag or the basket and pull it out from the cabinet and push it to return it into the cabinet remain.

Additionally, a quantity of bags are generally also stored inside the kitchen cabinet for later use. Such bags are usually folded and loosely placed on top of each other inside the cabinet. They frequently shift or fall, or are initially placed disorderly in the cabinet since there is no convenient storage provision for them and thus give the cabinet a generally messy appearance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides apparatus for placing paper garbage bags and the like onto the inside of kitchen cabinet doors for ready accessability of the bags. Briefly, the apparatus comprises basket means for receiving a disposable, i.e. paper bag, and mounting means for connection to an upright wall, and means demountably securing the basket to the mounting means. The securing means and the mounting means define a space between the basket and the mounting means for receiving and retaining in the space at least one folded disposable bag.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention the basket has a rim at its upper end. The securing means comprises an upper T-shaped member and a lower L-shaped member. The upper member has a substantially vertically disposed upwardly extending web that is spaced apart from and secured to the mounting means by a horizontally disposed leg of the member. The lower member defines an upwardly opening channel disposed opposite to and vertically spaced from a downwardly facing channel defined by the T-shaped member. The L-shaped member supports the lower end of the basket in an upright position. The two members define the space into which folded bags can be placed for storage. When a bag is 3,664,622 Patented May 23, I972 needed it is readily withdrawn from the space defined by the two members.

A filled bag is simply and readily withdrawn by merely lifting the basket off the upwardly extending web of the T-shaped member. The bag, supported by the basket, is then carried to a garbage can, garbage chute or the like and dumped. The basket is now replaced on the members and a new bag is placed therein.

The mounting plate, and with it the bag, is mounted to the inside of a kitchen cabinet door such as the kitchen sink door. Each time the housewife wishes to place garbage or other waste products in the bag she merely swings the door into an open position. The garbage bag thereby becomes almost effortlessly accessible without heretofore necessary tiresome work to pull it from beneath the kitchen sink cabinet or the like. Moreover, the need for blindly dumping garbage into the bag to eliminate such tiresome work, which can result in garbage spillage, is eliminated since the opening of the door automatically places the garbage outside the cabinet so that the garbage can be dropped into the bag. A greatly improved manner of disposing of common household garbage is thereby provided.

Additionally, unused and folded paper bags can be stored for subsequent use by placing them into the bag storage space provided by the present invention. The heretofore common disorderly array of shifting bags is eliminated to maintain the neat and clean appearance of the cabinet. The bags are stored virtually out of sight and, quite importantly, they are maintained tightly folded and snugly stacked to save valuable kitchen cabinet storage space.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective elevational view of the garbage bag storage apparatus of the present invention secured to the inside of a kitchen cabinet door;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the mounting and securing means of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 and shows the positioning of a paper bag in a receiving basket and the storage of folded paper bags for subsequent use;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of an upper end of a garbage bag receiving basket constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the mounting and securing means for use with bag receiving baskets constructed in accordance with the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIGS. 1 through 3, a garbage bag such as a conventional, foldable and flexible paper grocery bag 8 is disposed in and supported by a generally rectangularly shaped bag receiving basket 10 demountably secured to a mounting plate 12 by securing means 14. The mounting plate has a fiat configuration and includes a plurality of apertures 16 through which suitable fastening means such as wood screws 18 extend which connect the mounting plate to a wall such as an inside 20 of a kitchen cabinet door 22, say the cabinet door enclosing the space below a kitchen sink (not shown).

Basket 10 has a generally rectangular configuration and is dimensioned to receive and support standard large size grocery bags. The basket is defined by a bottom member 24, upright sides 26, a forward panel 28 and an aft panel 30. The basket can be constructed of any suitable material and preferably it is molded from plastic material for best corrosion resistance and to enhance its attractiveness at relatively low costs. The sides and panels of the basket include a plurality of cutouts 32 to reduce the basket weight.

An upper end 34 of the basket includes a generally semicircular rim 36 that defines a downwardly opening groove or channel 38. The rim preferably extends around the full upper basket end to provide convenient gripping surfaces for lifting the basket off securing means 14 and it extends at least over a major portion of the upper end along aft panel 30 for engagement of the basket by the securing means.

Securing means 14 comprises upper and lower connecting members 40 and 42, respectively. The upper con necting member is defined by a T-shaped bar having a central, generally horizontally disposed leg 44, a vertically positioned upwardly extending web 46 and a vertically positioned downwardly extending web 48. The webs are horizontally spaced from mounting plate 12 and with the mounting plate define upwardly and downwardly opening channels 50 and 52, respectively.

Lower connecting member 42 has an L-shaped configuration and a generally upwardly extending leg 54 that is horizontally spaced from mounting plate 12 and, with the mounting plate, defines an upwardly opening channel 56 that is vertically spaced from and opposes lower channel 52.

Referring now briefly to FIGS. 4 and 5, in another preferred embodiment of the present invention a generally L-shaped upper connecting member 58 is substituted for member 40 illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3. The L-shaped member has a vertically disposed, downwardly projecting leg 60 which is horizontally spaced from mounting plate 12 and, with the mounting plate, defines the downwardly facing channel 52. A plurality of at least two hangers 62 having round heads 64 are suitably secured to leg 60 as with a nut, or by welding (not shown) so that the round head is spaced from the leg. The lower connecting member (not shown in FIGS. 4 and is identical to connection member 42 illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3.

A basket 66 for supporting a garbage bag (not shown in FIGS. 4 and 5) also includes a rim 68 at its upper end 70 which defines a downwardly extending channel. However, the rim includes a substantially fiat vertical section 72 at least along the aft panel 30 of the basket. A plurality of at least two cutouts 74 are formed in the vertical section of the rim. The cutouts have a center spacing equal to the center spacing between the hangers 62 on leg 60, a lower portion of a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of hanger head 64 and a narrower upper portion of a width slightly greater than the diameter of the shaft of hanger 62 and less than the hanger head diameter. Thus, basket 66 can be secured to upper connecting member 58 by aligning the lower portion of cutouts 74 with hanger heads 64, pushing hanger heads through the cutouts and then releasing the basket so that it drops under its own weight onto the hangers. The reduced diameter portion of the cutouts engages the hanger heads and thereby retains the basket to the L-shaped connecting member.

Turning now to the installation and use of the garbage bag supporting apparatus of the present invention and referring again to FIGS. 1 through 3, mounting plate 12 provided with vertically spaced upper and lower connecting members 40 and 42 is secured to lower inside with wood screws 18 so that the connecting members are horizontally disposed. Basket 10 is now lifted, channel 38 defied by rim 36 is aligned with the upwardly extending web 46 and the basket is lowered until the upper ends of the web engages the basket rim. Release of the basket pivots the basket in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 3, until the lower basket end engages and is supported by lower connecting member 42. An unfolded grocery bag is now placed into the basket. Each time door 22 is opened the basket together with the grocery bag swings outside the cabinet so that garbage and waste products can be directly placed or dropped into the bag until the bag is filled. Each time the door is closed the bag is automatically returned into the cabinet.

A filled bag is discarded by lifting the basket off the upper connecting member and dumping the bag at the appropriate place. There is, therefore, no need to separately handle the bag so that tearing or rupture of the filled bag and garbage spillage is prevented.

Channels 52 and 56 defined by the upper and lower connecting members and 42, respectively, defined between them a space 76 into which folded paper bags can be placed for storage until it is needed as replacement for a discarded, filled bag. When the new bag is required a folded bag is simply withdrawn in a sideway direction parallel to door 22 from the space. Basket 10 substantially completely covers the open portion of space 76 and thus removes the bags from view to further enhance the attractiveness of the apparatus of the present invention.

Installation and use of the embodiment illusrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 follows the above outlined installation and use of the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3 except that the basket is carried by hangers 62 instead of upright web 46.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for storing waste products comprising: basket means for receiving disposable bag means therein, mounting means for connection to an upright wall, securing means for demountably securing the basket means to the mounting means, the securing means including means spacing an upright side of the basket means from the mounting means to define a space between the basket means and the mounting means for receiving in the space at least one folded bag, the securing means further including means for retaining the folded bag in the space even when the basket means is removed from the mounting means.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the securing means comprises an upper member connecting an upper end of the basket means to the mounting means and a lower member maintaining a lower end of the basket means spaced apart from the mounting means, the upper and lower members each defining at least a portion of a channel forming at least a portion of the space whereby the channel forming portion of the members retain the folded bag in the space even when the basket means is removed from the mounting means.

3. Apparatus for holding grocery bags and the like for the collection of garbage and the like and for temporarily storing folded grocery bags and the like comprising: plate means including means for securing the plate means to an upright wall, the plate means including a first, substantially L-shaped member disposed adjacent a lower end of the plate means and defining an upwardly opening channel, and a second member vertically spaced from the first member and also defining an upwardly opening channel, and a basket having an upper end and means defining a downwardly opening channel adjacent the upper end for engagement with the second member for connection with the second member so that the members retain the basket in an upright position to the plate means, whereby garbage is placeable into the basket and folded, flat grocery bags can be placed into the upwardly opening channel defined by the first member for storage and subsequent use.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the first member comprises a T-shaped member defining the upwardly opening channel and defining a downwardly opening channel spaced vertically above and opposing the first member to define a space for the folded grocery 'bags and retain vertically upper and lower sides of the folded bag to the plate means.

5. Apparatus for supporting foldable waste product bags in an open position on a side of a hinged door to facilitate the ease with which the bag can be moved into and out of a storage area defined by the side of the door where the door is in a closed position, and for simultaneously storing folded bags for subsequent use, the apparatus comprising: bag support means having a bottom and spaced apart upright sides dimensioned for receipt of the bag and maintaining the bag in an upright position as it is being filled with waste products, vertically spaced first and second channel members defining opposing upwardly and downwardly opening channels for the receipt and storage of folded bags between the first and second channel members in a substantially upright position, means demountably connecting the bag support means to at least one channel member, and means for mounting the chanel members in their vertically spaced position to the side of the door.

6. Apparatus according to claim wherein the channel member mounting means comprises plate means securable to the door side, and wherein the demountable connecting means comprises an upwardly extending web horizontally spaced from and secured to the plate means, and means depending downwardly from adjacent an upper end of the bag support means and horizontally spaced from a vertical side of the bag support means for engaging the web and thus securing the support means to the plate means.

7. Apparatus for mounting a flexible garbage bag to a door surface for swinging the bag into and out of a storage space by opening or closing of the door comprising a flat mounting plate including means for connecting the mounting plate to the surface, vertically spaced first and second channel members connected to the mounting plate' and defining opposing, upwardly and downwardly facing channels for retaining folded bags between the channels closely adjacent and lflat against the plate, means supporting an open flexible bag in a waste product receiving configuration, and means for securing the bag supporting means to the first and second channel members in a position spaced from and substantially parallel to the mounting plate to thereby conceal stored, folded bags between the channel members from outside view.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,796,309 6/ll957 Taylor 248 X 1,807,589 6/1931 Edmunds 211---88 X 2,277, 738 3/1942 Wilkinson 248-224 X 3,007,664 1 1/ 1961 Fairbanks 248-3'l1 X 3,477,679 11/ 1969 Lovitz 248-311 X 3,452,957 7/1969 Zuelddorf 24820|l X CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

